The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders has expressed displeasure over the way the administration of Governor Charles Soludo is treating the traditional institution in the state.
Goodluck Ibem, the president-general of the group, in a statement made available to reporters on Friday in Awka, described Governor Soludo’s treatment of traditional institutions as “dictatorial and anti-democratic”.
According to him, the law banning the conferment of chieftaincy title without the state government’s approval is depriving the people of their traditional rights and privileges.
The Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, suspended a traditional ruler for conferring a Chieftaincy title on a senator, Ifeanyi Ubah, and threatened others if they did not reverse the recognitions.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that about three traditional rulers bowed to pressure by apologising to the governor for conferring such titles.
“The law banning conferment of chieftaincy titles to people outside the domain of a stool without the state government’s approval is dictatorial, anti-democratic, anti-people and barbaric.
“It is not a law but a decree because it does not represent the interest of the people,” Mr Ibem said in the statement.
“Governor Soludo should focus more on providing democracy dividends to the people,” he added.
‘Power, authority come from God through the governed’
The traditional rulers in Anambra, a few days ago, had attacked Mr Soludo, whom they accused of dehumanising traditional institutions.
The traditional rulers, in a letter signed by the chairperson of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Alfred Achebe, said the administration was being disrespectful, with the way it was “maltreating” and suspending some traditional rulers.
Mr Achebe described the handling of the matter of conferment of honorary chieftaincy titles as the “apogee of the progressive dehumanisation and dismantling of the traditional institution” of Anambra by the present administration.
“The livelihood of the traditional rulers does not depend on selling chieftaincy titles or the N175,000 monthly stipend from the state government, but on their own hard-earned modest personal resources.
“By their office, age, attainment and standing in society, they deserve far better respect and dignity, than being publicly bullied and unfairly shamed at every opportunity by people in the State Government.
“The Federal and other State Governments hold the traditional institutions in high esteem. What then has gone wrong in Anambra State?
“The traditional institution of Anambra feels strongly that the present administration is progressively dehumanising and deprecating the institution against the trend in the rest of the country.
“The traditional institution is mindful of the awesomeness of the executive power and authority in our democratic dispensation but prays fervently that such power and authority, which come from God through the governed, should be exercised with due sensitivity and humaneness over the governed,” he said.
READ ALSO: Anambra monarchs attack Soludo, accuse him of dehumanising traditional institution
Mr Achebe said contrary to the impression that the issue of honorary chieftaincy title was on the foremost front burner for the Anambra people, the communities were still faced with many development challenges.
According to him, key community challenges are the lack of basic amenities, including electricity, potable water, healthcare, good access roads, youth unemployment leading to other delinquencies and the inability of the communities to fund their contingents of the Anambra State Vigilante Group.
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